Page 7 of The Broker

“Get your goddamn hand off me.” I yanked my arm back so hard it nearly sent him stumbling off his stool, but at least I was able to break free. I set down my glass and shook off the vodka dripping from my fingers.

He put his hands up as if telling me to calm down. “Relax. I’m just trying to be nice. Why can’t we have a friendly conversation?”

Usually when I got scared or felt cornered, my instinct was to run, but tonight I was all fight. If he pushed me any harder, I was ready to push back.

“Because, asshole,” I snarled, “I told you I don’t want to talk to you.” And I said it loud enough for the bartender’s focus to snap in my direction. He abandoned the drink he’d been preparing and headed my way—

“Hey.”

This deep voice hadn’t come from the man sitting beside me; it had come from above. I turned and lifted my gaze, andmy breath stuck in my lungs. Hot Guy stared back at me with questions in his eyes.Are you all right?

I was so surprised, I couldn’t find any words.

The man sitting beside me didn’t have that problem. He wasn’t happy we’d been interrupted, and his tone was harsh and patronizing. “Oh, this must be the boyfriend you’ve been waiting for.”

Hot Guy didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, that’s me.” He grabbed the empty stool, sat down beside me, and his voice was warm. Like he’d known me forever. “How was your day, sweetheart?”

THREE

Noah

I noticed the girl the moment she took a seat at the bar—long before I caught her staring at me. She was young and pretty, carrying a purple martini with a yellow flower floating in it. If I’d been ten years younger, I would have found an excuse to go talk to her. Hell, maybe even if I’d been just five years younger.

But the girl was too young for me now, plus I highly doubted she’d be into... the kind of things I was into.

It’s been more than two months,a voice inside my head said.Do you really want to be picky?

No, I didn’t, but women her age weren’t usually cool with one-night stands. They were always looking for relationships, and that wasn’t something I was willing to do right now.

Certainly not with a girl who looked just old enough to be sitting at that bar.

I’d come here tonight with a single goal, to meet Patrick and Shannon, and now that it had been accomplished, I knew I should head home. I liked taking risks, but something tugged inside me, warning me not to. This girl would be nothing but trouble.

For a brief moment, I thought she knew the guy sitting beside her, but I was less sure each time I glanced over. The wayshe leaned away from him, how she didn’t seem to want to give him her attention, made me think he was hitting on her, and she wasn’t receptive at all.

Except my resolve to steer clear faltered when we locked gazes with each other, and she’d flashed me a sexy little smirk. Her eyes held secrets, and they whispered about how much fun it would be to tease them out.

Fuck, my weakness was confident women.

It was why most of my recent relationships had been with older women. They’d grown out of their shyness, or inexperience, or politeness, and were less afraid to tell meexactlyhow they wanted it.

Sex had become more fun, and infinitely hotter.

Maybe this girl knew what she wanted, but chances were we wanted very different things. So I turned my attention back to Patrick and Shannon, finished the last swallow of my drink, and paid for the round.

I moved toward the exit, slower than I should have, like I was looking for a reason to stay.

“Because, asshole,” the girl said forcefully, “I told you I don’t want to talk to you.”

That forced me into action. My feet carried me swiftly toward the girl, and the word burst from my lips. “Hey.”

The bartender, like half the people in the restaurant, had picked up on the tension and was making his way toward the girl, but as soon as he laid eyes on me, he hesitated.

The girl turned in her seat, looked up at me, and seemed to stop breathing.

Maybe I did too.

Shit, she was even prettier up close. Her honey blonde hair was wavy with big curls, and her bright blue eyes popped against her fair skin. Her makeup was meticulous, and her sleevelessshirt was cut low enough to flaunt her appealing cleavage. The girl was slender, even her face, which accentuated her full lips.

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